Story submitted by Ining Chao, Associate Dean, Global Learning and Partnerships
May was Asian Heritage Month and SLC’s EDI + Belonging Task Force and HR&OD hosted two events to raise awareness of the diverse and rich cultural heritage and significant contributions the Asian community makes to Canada.
The first event was a guest lecture by Amy Go, President of the Chinese Canadian National Council for Social Justice. Amy is a social worker and has dedicated her professional career to serving immigrants and seniors, promoting and advocating for culturally and linguistically appropriate care and health equity for racialized communities. “Eyes Open” was the theme of her talk and she encouraged us to see the systemic racism that still exist today, and to speak up and take actions that will create a more just and equitable society.
Watch the recording of the lecture here.
We also acknowledge that many SLC staff and students are part of the Asian community in Canada. A panel discussion was offered to highlight their experiences and perspectives to promote awareness and celebrate their heritage.
“In addition to keep our eyes open, we want to keep our ears open too. I believe the foundational work to tackle racism is to build deep understanding of each other, and there is no better way to do that by having a dialogue and listening to stories of people who have the lived experiences” said Ining Chao, Associate Dean of Global Learning and one of the moderators of the panel.
Many thanks to our panelists: Ivy Zhang, Yves Biscarra, Rajni Dogra, and Ekta Singh who shared generously about their upbringings, views on cultural commonalities and differences, professional journeys as racial minorities, as well as books and movies for us to learn more about Asian cultures. Watch the full recording of the panel here.